Fun Father's Day Card

Wow - it's June already. Soon the kids will be out of school and the summer will be in full-swing. I thought in honor of Father's Day, also this month, I would show you a cool technique that you can use to create depth and texture on your paper-crafting projects. It's embossing with your paper trimmer! Actually, you really don't even need the paper trimmer for this to work, but it does make it a bit easier. Let me show you how to make a really nice Father's Day card using this technique.

Step 1: Cut your paper pieces. I used Desert Sand, Indian Corn Blue, Outdoor Denim, and Colonial White cardstock (CS), along with patterned paper from the Pemberley paper pack.

Step 2: Emboss Indian Corn Blue CS strip. To do this, place the CS on your paper trimmer so that the right edge extends 1/4" beyond the blade track (as if you were going to trim 1/4" off of the end of your paper).

Lower the paper guide. Using a dry-embossing stylus, run the stylus along the blade track, going over the CS several times to make sure you leave a good impression (we always want to make a good impression, don't we?!).

Now, move the strip to the right another 1/4" and repeat embossing with the stylus. Continue in this fashion until the entire strip of CS has been embossed with a line every 1/4".

Step 3: Turn CS strip over and lightly sand the surface to reveal the pattern. The sandpaper will expose the white core of the CS when you sand over the raised lines of the embossed pattern - how cool is that?! Now you have a fun, textured piece to add to your card.

Step 4: Stamp your focal image. I used the "Blue Ribbon" stamp set, which I stamped in Bamboo ink on Colonial White CS. I cut the "ribbons" off of the badge because I am going to replace them with real ribbon.

Step 5: Cut your ribbon. I used Outdoor Denim ink to stamp the "No.1" onto the badge. Then I trimmed two pieces of striped grosgrain ribbon from the Designer Ribbon Blue Collection, notched the ends, and adhered them to the back of the stamped badge with Glue Dots.

Step 6: Assemble your card. To add finishing touches to my card, I inked the edges of the award badge with Desert Sand ink, as well as the edges of the Colonial White pieces. I stamped "DAD" in Outdoor Denim ink using the "Pennant Alphabet" and sanded the outside edge of my assembled card. I also cut a 1 1/4" circle from Bamboo CS to place behind the "DAD" sentiment. I stamped the "I'm So Proud of You" stamp on it so that the thin double-line border would show, but the words would get covered by the "DAD" strip. And, lastly, I added two Antiqued Gold Square Durables - one on either side of "DAD" - to add some "manly" bling! I just love how this card came out!

I hope you have fun creating this project! Until next time - Happy Stamping!

Creating with the Cricut!

Welcome again to an exciting new post from Cooking With Crafts! Today your host (me!) will inspire you to break out that Cricut die-cutting machine and get creating with Close To My Heart's "Art Philosophy Collection"! The card-making workshop that I held this past Sunday focused on four cards that could be made using only the Art Philosophy Collection (along with papers, inks, and a few embellishments). The one exception I made was in the last "card", when we used a border stamp set, which I will note in the description. The patterned paper we used was all from this month's National Scrapbooking Month special from Close To My Heart - the "Dotty For You" paper pack. This super-popular paper pack is available While Supplies Last, and is down to it's last 20% of inventory as of this morning. So, if you haven't picked yours up yet - don't wait any longer, or you might miss out! (See my blog posts from April 20 and May 5 for more details on the "Dotty For You" Special!) Now, on to the artwork:

Given all of the time I spent trying to get this card "just right", I think it came out really nice! The one problem with the "Dotty For You" paper pack is that there are SO many patterns to choose from, it's hard to narrow it down! The best part about the paper pack is that there are six different colors of polka dot patterns on the reverse sides, making it really fun to mix & match! The focal piece was cut from the Cricut and stamped with one of the two coordinating stamps that comes in the collection. We then mounted the piece with some 3-D Foam Tape. I thought since it is coming up on the end of the school year, I would make this card for a teacher. I used 3 "Bitty Sparkles" in the upper right, as well as one to mark "Teacher" on the checklist. Much cooler than just checking the box, don't you think? :-)

Oooo, this one is my favorite. The butterfly paper is so colorful, and the Lagoon dots...well, Lagoon is my favorite as well! This time, not only was the focal piece cut from the Cricut, but the butterfly paper as well as the card itself were cut from the Art Philosophy cartridge. For the focal piece, we first stamped the image onto the die-cut in Cocoa ink. We then stamped the image again with Smoothie ink onto a piece of Colonial White cardstock and punched out just the center circle, which we then adhered to the center of the die-cut. The whole piece was then mounted to the card using 3-D Foam Tape. How fun!

Ah, this one is a tasty selection! The chevron patterned paper really gives this card some energy! Perfect for this upbeat birthday card! The two circles, as well as the cupcake were cut from the Cricut. For the cupcake, the shape was cut from Smoothie and Bamboo cardstocks. Then we stamped the cupcake image on both, using Hollyhock & Desert Sand inks respectively. Next, we trimmed off the top of the Bamboo piece, leaving just the "cup", which we then adhered to the bottom of the Smoothie piece. Lastly, the cupcake was adhered to the card using 3-D Foam Tape and embellished using Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel. Yummmm....

Our last "card" wasn't really a card at all - it was a gift box! This adorable box was also cut from the Art Philosophy cartridge, along with the two flowers and the tiny tag on the front. This is the item for which we "broke the rules" and used a stamp set outside of the Art Philosophy Collection. The border stamp used on the front came from the "Eclectic Edges" stamp set, which includes six gorgeous borders. And do you see that adorable button brad in the center of the blue flower? That came from the Honey Mini-Medley Accents Collection - which also included the stitched ribbon with which we tied up the box. Oh, good times, good times.

This workshop was so much fun - and so easy, since most of the cutting is done for you by the Cricut! If anyone is interested in the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection, the "Dotty For You" paper pack, or any Close To My Heart products, please contact me or go directly to my website at http://funforyou.ctmh.com! Enjoy!

Happy National Scrapbooking Day!

It's offical! It's National Scrapbooking Day! And if you've been following, you know that Close To My Heart is celebrating with the "Dotty For You" Paper pack for just $5 with a $35 purchase! I've posted some cards and a layout I did with the paper pack - now I've got more to share! These designs are courtesy of Kristine Ponte (www.kponte.blogspot.com). I loved them so much that I had to "scraplift". First, here's a card that I made that uses both the patterns and the dots of the paper:

I love how you could use any of the patterns on this card, and it would still look cool. The black really makes the colors pop. The next two pieces I have are layouts:

I saw this layout and loved it! I love the Sunset & Lagoon colors together, the cool use of the patterned papers (especially the Cricut "Art Philosophy" star cut from the yellow dots for the sun), and the clouds cut out of yet another one of the patterned papers in the pack. Beautiful!

OK, how cute is this?! As soon as I saw the paper with the colored circles on it, I knew they'd be perfect for cutting out and using as embellishments - and that's exactly what this page does. How fun!

I hope you have taken advantage of the "Dotty For You" special this month! If not, there's still time! The special runs through the end of May - BUT it's WHILE SUPPLIES LAST, so don't wait! It's only $0.21 a sheet - for double-sided, cardstock-weight paper! You'll love it! Happy National Scrapbook Day, Everyone! Happy Scrapping!

I'm Just "Dotty For You"!

National Scrapbooking Month has come early at Close To My Heart! And in true form, they are offering a FANTASTIC special for a limited time only, and while supplies last! It's the "Dotty For You" Paper Pack, and you can get yours starting right now! This gorgeous package of 24 double-sided, cardstock-weight papers has 12 different patterns (2 sheets of each) on the front, and a fantastic polka-dot pattern on the backs - in six different colors! There is no limit to the things you can do with this diverse array of paper. How can you get a hold of it? There are THREE ways:

First, place an order of just $35 in products from the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book, and you can add the Dotty For You Paper Packet (valued at $19.95) for just $5.00!
Second, as a Hostess, you will receive the Dotty For You Paper Packet for FREE when your Gathering sales total $400 or more (excluding tax, S&H, and Operation Smile donations).
Third, anyone signing up as a new Consultant between April 1 and May 31 will receive a Dotty Paper Packet for FREE with their new Consultant Kit.

I have had a lot of fun creating with this paper - and I'm not done! But here is what I have done so far:

I really liked the layout that is pictured on the idea sheet that is included in the paper pack...so I copied it using my own title, photos, and embellishments. It's a great way to use up any scraps you have left over from all the other projects you're going to make with this kit!

This card was also featured on the idea sheet that comes with the paper packet. I thought it was really cool how the cloud with the heart was cut out of the patterned paper and used as the focal point on the card - very cute! The "Love Life" stamp set was also used on this card.

Yet one more card from the idea sheet (I loved their ideas!). I didn't have the same supplies as they did, so I improvised and created my own embellishment using the "Enjoy!" stamp set. I just love that butterfly paper!

Those of you who attended my "Flowers" workshop will recognize the ribbon-twisted flower that is the focal point on this card. I love the yellow & grey striped paper paired with the Sweet Leaf green cardstock.

Lastly, a bright & fun card using yet another flower technique from my "Flowers" workshop. This time I used a strip of one of the patterned papers to create the accordian-fold flower. Aren't these patterns fun?!

I hope these artwork samples give you a head-start and a creative boost in creating your own pieces of art with this paper packet. Remember that you can order online ANYTIME from my website at http://funforyou.ctmh.com. Enjoy!

Flip Flap™ Fun!

Have you ever found yourself with a ton of pictures that you'd like to be able to put on one layout, but there's no way you have the room? That happens to me all the time! Well, believe it or not, there is a way to get more photos into your layouts - with Flip Flaps™! Close To My Heart has several different sizes of these wonder-products, but my favorite is the 12" Assortment. What are Flip Flaps, anyway? Well, they are Memory Protectors® (page protectors) that are smaller than your page and have a strip of adhesive on one edge in order for you to attach it to your layout. The 12" assortment from CTMH looks like this:

There are three different widths in the assortment - 4", 6", and 8". The adhesive strip is along the 12" side. These are great because you can add whole other sections to your layout - not just extra pictures. Let me show you how I used them on a layout about one of our camping trips.

This first shot shows what the layout looks like before you "open it up":

Let's start with the left-hand page and lift the 4" Flip Flap that is attached to the right side:

Now we have revealed two journalling blocks that were hidden. Now let's lift the 8" Flip Flap attached to the left side:

Wow - there's another large photograph and the rest of the layout's title.The best part is, we didn't even have to remove the page from its original sleeve to see these added sections. Now let's close this up and move to the right-hand page. This page was done using two 6" Flip Flaps. We'll lift the top one first:

With that one lift of the flap, we revealed seven more photos! Now let's lift the bottom flap:

Wow! That's seven more photos! And all of it fit on one 12" x 12" spread. So, where we originally had eight photos on our two-page spread, with the addition of the 4 Flip Flaps, we now have twenty-four! This is definitely a fantastic product! I would love to see what you do with Flip Flaps! Until next time - have fun Flapping!

Have You Played With Studio J?

OK, I may be a bit biased, but I am LOVING using Close To My Heart's online scrapbooking tool, Studio J! It has allowed me to complete whole albums in a day that would have taken me months...who am I trying to kid...years to complete with traditional scrapbooking. And being a Studio J Member allows me access to Exclusive paper packs and TONS of additional layout templates. If you haven't tried it yet, watch the following video to see just how easy and fun it is - and it costs NOTHING to just play!



Here are just a few of the layouts that I have created using Studio J:

OK, I'd better stop! Can you tell I LOVE it?! I could go on & on - but I think you get the idea. Head over to my new & improved website at http://funforyou.ctmh.com, open the drop-down menu under "Products", and hit "Studio J". Then start playing!

If you ever have any questions about any of the CTMH line of products, please do not hesitate to contact me! I will be happy to answer all of your questions. Have fun!

Fun With Flowers!

We had so much fun learning four new flower-making techniques at my latest workshop last weekend. A couple of them were a little challenging, but we persevered and created four wonderful cards with our beautiful blooms. Let me share with you what we did:

This first card uses the wrapped ribbon flower technique. We used white grosgrain ribbon (3/8" wide) and a 2" "Gluber" (manufactured by Cosmo Cricket) to create the flower. Starting from the center, twist the ribbon as you press it onto the adhesive surface of the Gluber, creating a spiral, and covering the entire surface of the circle. Tuck the ribbon's end under the Gluber (so it sticks to the underside), peel off the plastic backing, and adhere to your card. It takes some patience to create this flower, but it's super cute and so versitile with all of the different colors, patterns and styles of ribbon there are!

This next one is the accordian-fold flower. We used an 8.25" long by 1" wide strip of white cardstock, which we stamped, inked the edges of, then scored at 1/4" increments along the entire length. Accordian-fold the strip and adhere the ends together to form a ring (be sure when adhereing the ends together that they match up just like another fold in the pattern - you don't want any stray flaps or folds). The tricky part here is getting the top of the ring scrunched together, then pushed down into the center, while pulling the bottom of the ring outwards, to create the flower. Here's a quick visual to help explain:

Once you get to this point, you will have to adhere the flower to a circle of cardstock - otherwise, it will keep springing up on you. We just used a 1" circle of cardstock and a hot glue gun. Stick the flower onto the circle so that the 1" circle of cardstock is on the back. We glued a brad into the center of our flowers (the "feet" of the brad were too short to poke through the back of the flower), but you could use any number of buttons or bling that you'd like. Now you can adhere your flower to your card.

While we had the hot glue gun sparked up, we created our next flower using a cut from the "Art Philosophy" Cricut cartridge. There are several different flower styles to choose from on the cartridge, but I thought this one looked the most "beachy". After cutting the flower out on the Cricut at 3.5", we started at the outer end of the spiral, and wrapped continuously toward the center around a thick lollipop stick (this will give you a nice, tight wrap). When you reach the center, pull the stick out and let the flower uncoil a bit. Put hot glue on the center circle (built into the flower design), and press your wrapped sides down onto it. After the glue is set, press down each set of petals, starting with the outer-most layer and working your way in, until you get the look you want. Adhere the flower to you card.

Last, but not least, was the tissue paper flower. This was very easy and created a stunningly realistic carnation. All you need is 15 sheets (or layers...you can fold one sheet many times to get 15 layers) of tissue paper, a brad, a 2" scallop circle die, and a die-cut machine (i.e. - Sizzix Big Shot). I originally tried this using my 2" scallop circle hand-held punch, but it kept tearing the tissue (even after putting the tissue between cardstock), so I borrowed a friend's Big Shot and aquired the die from my local craft store. Once you have your 15 layers of tissue, fold them in half, unfold, turn 90 degrees, fold in half and unfold again. This is done to simply find the center of the circle. Once found, poke the brad through the center and secure at the back (it doesn't matter what you use for a brad - you won't see it in the final product). Starting with the top layer of tissue, gather it up and crinkle it into the center around the brad - don't push it down into a ball - just crinkle towards the center. Do this for each layer, being careful to do just one layer at a time. When you're finished, you will have something that resembles a closed flower bud...which begs for us to help it bloom! All that's left to do is press outward on the layers of tissue until the flower emerges. I used my piercing tool to help me separate some of the layers and spread them out. Once you have your flower just the way you like it, adhere to your card. Beautiful!

Now that you're all expert flower-makers, I hope that you can join us for my next workshop on Sunday, March 18th from 1-4pm! Contact me for all the details!